A writer-mom's life is filled with a million and two distractions; sometimes she finds herself at the park, WRITING ON THE SIDEWALK

The Query Conundrum- How to Write a Query Letter

In my experience, fewer things strike fear in the heart of any author than writing a query letter. The simple act of writing one of these tortuous epistles, brings many talented writers to their knees.

Author and former literary agent Nathan Bransford describes the query letter as follows:

A query letter is part business letter, part creative writing exercise, part introduction, part death defying leap through a flaming hoop. (Don’t worry, you won’t catch fire and die during the query process though it may feel precisely like that at times). In essence: it is a letter describing your project.

There are many sites on the internet that can give you examples of query letters. Some authors even post a copy of their own letter that helped them get the “Big Deal.” If you read carefully they have a few common ideas.

Make it as polished as you can- A polished letter shows professionalism.

Keep it brief- Agents and/or Publishing houses receive tons of submissions. You would rather have them read your manuscript than get bored over a long query letter.

Personalize whenever possible- Do your research and let them know why you have chosen them for submission. This makes you look thoughtful and professional.

Follow any posted submission rules- It may seem like a pain, but it tells the recipient of your query you are willing to do the work required to get the job done.

In today’s publishing world there is more competition than ever. Take the time to put your best foot forward.

Looking for examples of a query letter? Nathan Bransford has a great Query Letter Mad Lib that shows the basics of a good cover letter.

Now take a deep breath and get writing, you’ll be done before you know it.